Pickled carrots are delicious, and they are also the perfect way to add a satisfying crunch and extra nutrients to any meal. They bring balance and acidity, while also providing so many benefits such as vitamin K, vitamin A, and antioxidants. This is also the perfect way to add a bit of fiber to your dish.
My favorite thing about pickling foods is that they last so long in the fridge, its easy to do any very easily customizable. You can do a generic pickle or tailor it to a specific cuisine by adjusting your ingredients.
A traditional pickle usually just requires salt and water, allowing the acidity to build over time, but for a quick pickle, all you need is water and vinegar. For the purpose of a more flavorful result, you’ll need a couple more ingredients, such as sugar, salt, and seasonings. My favorite way to pickle incorporates garlic and chili flakes for a bit of a flavor punch.
Ingredients:
3-4 medium sized carrots, sliced into ribbons or cut into julliened sticks
1/2 cup of white vinegar
1/2 cup of rice vinegar
1 cup of water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
At least 1 garlic clove
Red pepper flakes
If you like extra spice, thinly slice a jalapeño or two and add it with the carrots.
Instructions:
Prep carrots- Slice carrots using a vegetable peeler into ribbons or cut into sticks (really any shape of your choice)
Make pickling liquid- Add all of the ingredients with the exception of the carrots to a sauce pan and bring to boil to create pickling liquid
Pour & Pickle- Pour pickling liquid into container filled with carrots
Cool & Store- Let cool before covering and putting it into the fridge.
That’s really all there is to it; depending on how fast you prep, the whole process shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. Once the pickled carrots have cooled, they should be ready to eat in 30 minutes to an hour, but you’ll find that the flavor develops over time.
I used rice vinegar in the recipe since I made the carrots for spring rolls but you can use any vinegar such as apple cider or even plain white vinegar. Some other ways to use these carrots could be for soups, salads, sandwiches or even grain bowls the options are endless to be honest.
The best way to achieve your goals isn’t just about motivation—it’s about consistency. Staying focused and showing up for yourself every day, even in small ways, is what leads to real transformation. Whether you’re learning a new language, mastering a skill, or breaking old habits, progress isn’t made in giant leaps, but it’s really seen in the quiet, daily efforts that stack up over time. It’s not about perfection; it’s about persistence.
Keeping Your Promises to Yourself
Its easy for us to keep our promises to other people, but what about the promises we make to ourselves? We keep up with obligations to our employers, and we show up consistently for family and friends, yet when it comes to our own goals, we don’t hesitate to procrastinate. This habit eats away at our self trust and confidence. Every time we say we’re going to do something but don’t follow through, we reinforce the belief that our own commitments don’t matter. Each time you see someone that has achieved a goal you once set for yourself you think “If only” with a twinge of envy and self doubt. Consistency isn’t just about success, remaining consistent is about showing up for you; sticking to your goals builds self-trust and confidence. When you consistently show up, even in small ways, you reinforce the belief that you can rely on yourself to follow through. You’ll see your dreams materialize and your self-perception shift—you start seeing yourself as someone who can achieve your goals. Start treating your goals as non-negotiable like any other commitment and you’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish.
Small Actions Make Big Impact Over Time
One of the most discouraging things about working toward a goal is that results don’t come overnight. When we start something new and struggle with it, we often decide we’ve failed before giving ourselves a real chance to improve. If we put in effort but don’t see immediate rewards, we may start to wonder if it’s even worth it. The truth is, big achievements rarely happen all at once. It’s the small, seemingly insignificant actions done consistently that lead to massive results over time. Take weight loss, for example. After a week of working out and eating well, you might feel frustrated to see you’ve only lost a pound or two. But over the course of a year, that one to two pounds a week adds up to 52 to 104 pounds. The same principle applies to learning, saving, personal growth, and any other goal. Just keep showing up. Even when progress feels slow, your efforts are adding up in ways you can’t always see in the moment.
You Don’t Need to Be Perfect, Just Present
It’s okay if you can’t give 100% every time as long as you show up every day. When people think about being consistent, there is a misconception that if you don’t give 100% each and every time, then you’re doing it wrong. That simply is not true. Consistency isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing up for yourself, even if all you can give that day is 20%. Life happens. Some days, you’ll have energy and motivation; other days, you’ll struggle to show up. The key is to keep going, even when it’s not perfect. Giving your all is simply about doing it even when you’re tired and halfway engaged, or sad and questioning if its worth it. Focus on consistency not intensity, consistency is more important than perfection. Progress isn’t about giving 100% once in a while—it’s about showing up every day and letting the effort compound over time.
The Time is Going to Pass you by Either Way
Whether you take action or not, time will pass. A year from now, you’ll either be closer to your goal or still wishing you had started. The question isn’t whether time will move forward—it’s whether you will move with it. Shift your perspective! Instead of thinking, ‘This is going to take so long,’ remind yourself that life will keep moving regardless of whether you start or not. A year from now, do you want to feel stuck in the same place, wondering what could have been? Or do you want to look back and see how far you’ve come? The choice is truly yours.
Take it Day by Day
As we’ve already established, time will move forward regardless of what you do. The more you fixate on how long something will take or how much you have left to do, the easier it is to feel overwhelmed—and overwhelm is one of the fastest ways to give up. But even if you do give up, that’s okay, you can always start again. Progress isn’t about never stumbling; it’s about choosing to keep going. Instead of stressing over the timeline, shift your focus to the present moment. Ask yourself, ‘What can I do today to move closer to my goal?’ No matter how small, every effort counts. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Just take it one day at a time, and trust that your consistency will lead you exactly where you need to be.
Final Thoughts: You’ve Gotta Do What You Gotta Do
No matter how annoying, frustrating, or exhausting it feels, the truth remains—you have to show up. Even when you’re tired; even when you’re sad, heartbroken, or angry. Even when progress feels nonexistent or setbacks try to shake your confidence. Keep going. No results? Keep going. Bad results? Keep going! Consistency is what separates those who achieve their goals from those who only dream about them. It’s not about talent, luck, or motivation—it’s about perseverance. And the reward? Growth. Strength. The confidence that comes from knowing you didn’t give up on yourself. Never be afraid to start over, to adjust, or to try again. This is a journey, not a race. And through every challenge, every step forward, and even every setback, you are becoming someone stronger, more disciplined, and more capable. One day, you’ll look back and realize how far you’ve come. You’ll be so thankful for the person you’ve become on the other side. And that alone makes every effort worth it.
There’s nothing I detest more than the concept of ‘dieting.’ Diets are hard to stick to, often unenjoyable, and contribute to a harmful relationship with food. I enjoy food, and I enjoy eating it even more. Just because I don’t like dieting doesn’t mean I don’t eat healthy. I just look at eating healthy as a lifestyle—something done for proper nourishment and nutrition rather than as a quick fix for shedding a few pounds. I prefer to eat intuitively and prioritize getting my proper vitamins and minerals, which can sometimes be challenging. One way to do this is to eat a salad.
Salads are great because they can serve as a catch-all for a variety of veggies, fruits, and other nutritious ingredients such as seeds and oils, all of which contain essential nutrients. I like to make one big salad per week and either use it as a base by adding a protein if I’m craving something more filling or as a side for an extra nutrient boost. This kale salad is one of my favorites—it’s green, rich in nutrients such as vitamin K, and most importantly, delicious. It is also easy to make and highly customizable. Follow along below.
Ingredients
Salad:
1 bag of chopped kale
1 red onion
Sun-dried tomatoes
Marinated artichokes
Roasted bell peppers (add raw bell peppers for a nutrient boost)
1 whole lemon
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp chilli flakes (optional)
*Option to swap out these veggies and add in any of your own preference
Dressing:
1 avocado
1 lime
2 cloves of garlic (more or less depending on your preference)
Chopped cilantro
1/4 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
*Option to use 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream, you can also use mayo.
Prep
Salad:
Start by washing your kale
After adding to a large bowl, massage kale for 1-2 minutes, this helps break down some of the fiber making it easier to eat and easier to digest.
Drizzle in your olive oil and massage for a bit more until the tenderness is to your liking.
Set the kale aside and chop the other veggies: the onion, tomatoes, artichokes, and bell peppers. For this step, I like to chop the veggies as small as possible, but you can keep them the size you prefer.
Once you’ve finished chopping, add the veggies to the bowl of massaged kale and mix.
Squeeze into your salad bowl the juice of one whole lemon (be mindful of seeds).
Toss the salad together and add in your salt and pepper. For a flavor boost, add in some of the marinade from the artichokes and bell peppers or some of the oil from your sun-dried tomatoes.
Dressing:
Cut avocado and add to blender.
Add the rest of the ingredients in with the avocado.
Squeeze in one whole lime.
Blend until smooth.
Kale salad as a base with blackened shrimp added for protein.
This salad should make at least 4 servings. Try it out and add in some of your favorite veggies for a boost!
True North 